Tennis star Coco Gauff has backed Unrivaled as an investor (Image: Getty Images)

Coco Gauff has become the latest high-profile athlete to invest in Unrivaled, with the women’s basketball league receiving widespread backing despite Caitlin Clark snubbing its $1million offer

Tennis star Coco Gauff jokingly apologized to her dad for not pursuing a career in basketball after announcing her investment in the new Unrivaled league.

The 2023 U.S. Open winner’s financial backing brings funding for the new women’s basketball league to a hefty $35million, despite the project recently suffering the blow of WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark deciding not to play in it.

The inaugural season of Unrivaled starts next week, launching on Friday, January 17. The 3-on-3 competition will be played on a smaller court, with six teams composed of six players battling it out in four seven-minute quarters.

It was masterminded by U.S. Olympic basketball team stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, who wanted to create something for WNBA stars to play in during the offseason. Its roster boasts dazzling talents such as Angel Reese and Sabrina Ionescu, and now celebrates U.S. tennis ace Gauff joining its glamorous lineup of investors.

Last month, Unrivaled secured $28m in funding from other high-profile athletes such as back-to-back NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and NBA legend Carmelo Anthony. Outside of sport, actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have also decided to invest.

Gauff now joins the $35m funding wave, having announced on X: “My dad always wanted me to follow in his footsteps and play basketball. Haha sorry dad but this is as close as it will get.

“In all seriousness, I’m incredibly grateful to get the opportunity to uplift women’s sports and I am super excited to join the @Unrivaledwbb family! I can’t wait to watch.”

Interest in Unrivaled comes as a direct result of the growth in popularity of women’s basketball in the U.S., with Indiana Fever star Clark’s arrival in the WNBA playing an important part. Clark, a former Iowa college hero, is arguably one of the most recognizable sporting figures across the country currently.

WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark declined a huge offer to play in Unrivaled ( Image: Getty)She enjoyed a record-breaking inaugural WNBA campaign with the Fever after being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft before winning the Rookie of the Year award. But despite receiving a reported $1m offer to become Unrivaled’s biggest player, the 22-year-old rejected the opportunity.

Clark explained that her decision was a result of her prioritising some much-needed rest in the offseason after playing back-to-back NCAA and WNBA terms. Speaking about snubbing the Miami-based event, Clark told TIME: “I didn’t rule out doing it in the future, but this year is just not the best for me. It’s going to be good for me to do my own thing and have my own space. I kind of want to just stay out of the spotlight.”

Commenting on the possibility of Clark joining the Unrivaled league in the future, the competition’s president Alex Bazzel previously said: “We’re always going to have a roster spot for Caitlin Clark. We’re not applying a full court press the way people think. We are letting he